This is just a Dream- A Vampire Diaries FanFic
by Steeka431
Summary: Elena and Damon are roommates, and best friends. Can they stay friends, or will their adventures draw them closer together?
1. It was only a Dream

**Chapter One- It was only a dream**

 **"Babe!"**  
 **I heard the voice coming from down the hall. I didn't know he was home this early. "In the bedroom" I called out, stashing all the bags and boxes in the closet and under the bed before he walked in. "There you are, I've been looking for you all day." I look over at the clock. It's 4 pm. I've been out shopping all day. "Sorry, My phone died, and I just lost track of time." I tell him, moving away from the closet. He watches me as I sit in the chair across from the window, and moves closer to the closet. "How much did you buy today?" He asks, opening the closet door. Bags come falling out, shoes and clothes spilling out of them. I hear him gasp, then he turns to look at me. " Let me rephrase that, how much did you spend today?" I look over at him, my nervousness showing on my face. " ... Alot." I said, pouting a little. " ... But it's not all for me, I swear. I got your birthday gifts early this year." I say, hoping it'll make the situation better.**

 **"Elena, You've got to stop spending so much money. We can't afford it." He says, annoyed now. I hate upsetting him, but I really didn't keep track of how much I spent, or how much I bought, really. I pull my phone out, and check the bank balance online. " I spent 400$ today. Alot less than I spent last week, or even last month. I only went shopping after I paid the bills!" I shouted the last part, not meaning to. His eyes widened. " Did you just raise your voice to me?" He asks, smirking slightly. There's that smirk I fell in love with. I nod. " I did. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to shout." I move to the bed, and that's when he noticed one of the tags. He pulled everything out from under the bed, and gasped. "Elena ... Elena? Elena!"**

I'm woken by the sound of my roommate, Damon. He's shaking me. I open my eyes and groan, covering them with my hand to block the light. I glance over at my alarm clock. 9:30. "Shit! I'm late!" I jump out of bed, and move quickly past Damon into the washroom. I had almost forgotten that I was only wearing my bra and panties, and shut the bathroom door before he could get a good look. I hopped into the shower and washed my hair and body quickly. Once I had the shower off, I wrapped a towel around myself and headed back to my room, stopped by Damon who was standing in the door way with a coffee mug in his hands. He extended it out to me, a soft smirk crossing his lips. " I'm sorry about what I said yesterday. I was out of line. Forgive me?" He noticed me eyeing the mug. " It's french roast..." I take the mug and sip the coffee in it. Perfection. "Thank you." I say to him as I rush into my room, closing the door partially as I dressed for work. "I'm not upset about what you said, Damon. I was being a bitch, and it was uncalled for. What upset me was how you chose to tell me, by shouting it into my face, in the town square." I could hear him sighing on the other side of the door." Look, Elena. I'm sorry. I'm truly, deeply sorry. I didn't mean to lose my temper. You know how Stefan gets to me sometimes..." Ah yes, Stefan. Damon's brother and my Ex. It used to amuse me how easily Stefan could get Damon into a fit of rage, but now it's just an annoyance. Stefan comes by 3 to 4 times a week, and ends up leaving just before Damon kills him. I don't mean figuratively. I mean literally.

There's something I probably forgot to mention. It happens all the time when I meet new people.

My name is Elena Gilbert, and I'm a Vampire. So are Damon and Stefan Salvatore. Mystic falls is full of 'special' people, from Vampires, to werewolves. From witches and warlocks to demons and sirens. It's not a normal town, though majority of it's inhabitants are infact normal. They're human. Very few people know about us in mystic falls. Those who do call themselves the council. Once Mystic Falls was 'destroyed' my friends and I rebuilt it. We wanted to live in our homes again, the ones we grew up in. If we were to ever get the chance at a normal life, we'd take it. Until then, this is as close as it's going to get.

So, I should probably explain my situation with the Salvatore brothers. Stefan and I used to date, way back in highschool. Actually, our romance survived alot, and we were even engaged at one point. All of that changed when Caroline and Stefan were on some trip to save me, and they fell in love. He hadn't even had the decency to break up with me himself. He got Caroline to do it at one of our many girls nights. Caroline and I are still friends, I mean she had a HUGE crush on Stefan before he chose me, so I thought it was only fair for her to get her chance at love. Stefan and I on the other hand, we can't be in the same room more than 5 minutes without an argument breaking out.

That's where Damon comes in. He's sort of like the referee. I moved into my own place, once the town was fixed up. All of us had been hauled up in the Salvatore house for months, until everything was back to normal. Stefan and I would argue all the time, mainly over him picking on any guy I would bring over after a date. Damon was never around much those nights, I never understood why. Caroline had to take Stefan upstairs most nights, after my guest would leave. Once I stopped bringing them home, Damon was there to stop Stefan from his annoying banter. "Oh, Carrot top didn't want to come in for a night cap?" Or " Oh, how come Juice Monkey didn't come and say good night to the rest of us?" You'd think that by now I'd have staked him or ripped his heart out, but I haven't. I can't. Damon wouldn't want me to, no matter how much Stefan upsets us both. Damon is my best friend, and I wouldn't do anything to hurt him. Anyways, Back to the main story.

Once I was ready for work, I opened the door and handed him the empty mug. "Yes, I know how Stefan gets to you. He works me the same way he works you. Since you decided to help me by keeping him at bay around me, I've decided to do the same for you. Neither one of us would forgive ourselves, or the other, for killing him and you know that." I hugged him tightly, before moving past him, into the diningroom, to collect my things for work. "Have you seen my keys? They're not in my bag, and I could have sworn I left them ..." I hear them jingling. As I look up, there's Damon, with my keys in his hands. " Oh, What on earth would I ever do without you, Damon?" I ask as I grab my keys from him. He laughs. " You'd probably end up with a stake in your chest by the end of the day, Elena. Can I give you a ride? I'm headed into town to pick a few things up." I stop and nod, looking at the time. "In that case, I've got time for another cup of coffee!"

After our morning chat, and coffee, Damon drives me into work.I'm the bartender at the Mystic Grill, currently. I've got the rest of the summer to do this, and then I'm starting school in September to be a was the one who told me to follow through with my dreams. He actually sent my college application off in the mail, because I was too chicken to. I got into the grill, and threw my stuff into the back. I punched in, and just as I was about to get started on my cleaning, I noticed something behind the bar. There was a small box, with a white ribbon on it. It was just sitting there on the floor. I bent down to pick it up, and noticed my name on the ribbon. I wasn't sure what it was or who it was from, so I sent a picture of it to Damon. I knew it wasn't from him when he showed up at the bar minutes later.

"Where is it?" He asked, taking a seat at the bar. " In the back, hold on." I handed him a glass of bourbon; Every one in Mystic Falls knew that Damon only drank one of two things: Blood, and Bourbon, then headed back into the back room. I came back out with the box, and he looked at me, confused. "It's not your birthday, is it?" He asked, jokingly. Damon never forgot my birthday. "Did you ask anyone who was here earlier if anyone left it here for you?" I shook my head. " No, I sent you the picture, and you didn't give me much of a chance to ask around, you were here so fast." I punched his arm from across the bar, laughing a little. " I have work to do, why don't you go play detective." I went to walk into the back, but stopped by the door and looked at him again. " And Play nice, Damon. I don't want to have to compell everyone just so I can keep my job." He laughed, before I disappeared behind the door.

My shift flew by rather quickly. Damon still hadn't found out who had left that box for me, though now it was tempting me to open it. It was sitting in front of me, on the kitchen counter, as I made dinner. Vampires don't need to eat to live, but it helps curve the cravings for blood. He came out of his room, with his laptop, watching the security footage from the Mystic Grill. " How did you get that, Damon?" I asked him, smiling coyly. He chuckled. " Oh, I flirted with that Vicky girl, and she gave me the tapes."

I leaned across the counter, watching them. It took me a few minutes to notice that Damon wasn't watching the security footage, but he was watching me. People told us that we seemed as though we were a couple, because of how close we are. We've never dated, to be honest, I don't think Damon's ever seen me that way. At least, not that I've noticed. I'll admit I've had a crush on him since the day we met, but I never acted on it because of Stefan. I could never act on it, Stefan would never forgive Damon.

"Who is that?" Damon asks, as he notices someone walking into the grill, and right behind the bar. " I have no clue ... I've never seen them here before..." I look at the screen as Damon pauses it, trying to get a good look at the mans face. He was bald, with eyes as black as coal. He set the box down on the floor, and disappeared into a cloud of smoke.


	2. Who is Ryan Buckley?

**Chapter 2- Who is Ryan Buckley?"**

"You saw that too, right?" Damon asked, looking puzzled. "It that some kind of spell?" I shrugged. I don't know who that was, or how he just disappeared into a cloud of smoke, unless he was a warlock. "I don't know, but now we know who to look out for. Don't open that box, Damon. I don't know what's in it, and I don't trust it." He nodded, taking the box and putting it in the safe behind one of his pictures. He turned then, watching me as I cleaned up the counter. I noticed he'd been watching me alot lately. Maybe he does see me in 'that way'. I didn't want to know. It would only complicate things. I took everything from the counter and put it in its proper place, before going to the fridge and pulling out two blood bags. "So what's on the agenda for tonight?" I ask, as I toss him one. We both sip from them before he answers. " Oh, Ah... Caroline and Stefan are supposed to be coming over. Apparently he's got something important to tell me." I nod. " Good, So I don't have to be here for it. I'm going out with Bonnie."

"Going where, exactly?" He asked me through the bathroom door. " We're going to a club, 'Dad' is that okay with you?" My response was snarky. I knew what Stefan's important talk was about. Caroline couldn't keep her mouth shut about how Stefan had proposed, and they were going to have a June wedding. Way to throw salt into the wound, bestie. I heard Damon chuckling through the door. "I thought I'd ask, because I don't think Stefan will be here long, I could swing by and pick you guys up afterwards." "Oh." I said, opening the door. His jaw dropped when he saw me in my little black dress. "Well, that's really nice of you, Damon. Thank you. I'll text you when we're ready to leave." I moved past him, into my bedroom to grab my shoes and phone. He stood in the doorway as I tied the strapy black ribbon around my calves. "You're sure you don't want to stay for this? If Stefan saw you dressed like that, his heart would explode. I know he still loves you, Elena." I sighed, loudly. "No, Damon. He doesn't still love me. He's coming here to tell you that he proposed to Caroline, and she said yes. He has NO clue that I know. I'm sure he's just coming to rub it in my face." I grabbed my things, and tried to move past him, but he just wrapped his arms around me, hugging me tightly. "Well, Maybe if he sees you leaving dressed like this, he'd realize he made a mistake." I hugged him back, rolling my eyes. " I doubt that, but thanks for trying to make me feel better. Ugh, Great." I hear the doorbell. Stefan and Caroline are talking on the other side. Thank god for Vamp Hearing, I never have to go near the door to know who's there. Damon laughs, as he lets go of me, and walks to the front door, letting Caroline and Stefan in. Just then, I hear tires in the drive. "Bonnie's here, I'm leaving now. Don't fall asleep on me!" I call out to Damon, as I grab my things from my room. Just as I head towards the door, Caroline is pulling Bonnie into the house, to announce her engagement. Stefan smirks as he stands in the livingroom with Damon. "Got a hot date tonight, Elena?" He asks, his brows furrowed. I smile confidently. " As a matter of fact, yes." I hook my arm around Bonnie's, and the two of us leave, but I just couldn't help myself, I slammed the door on my way out.

"This club kind of sucks!" I hear Bonnie shout to me over the music. I nod. "Yeah, It really does! Do you wanna get out of here?" She nods, and the both of us head towards the exit. "Shoot! I forgot my phone. Go get our coats, and I'll meet you outside!" Bonnie shouts at me. I nod, and let her go. I watch as she disappears into the crowd. I make my way to coat check, getting both our coats and waiting outside. As I'm waiting, a man with his hood pulled over his face approaches me. "Excuse me miss, do you have the time?" I look down at my phone, and before I know it, he's trying to grab me. Thanks to my Vamp Strength, I flipped him over onto his back on the concrete, and noticed he was the guy from the security footage. "You!" I say, and he moved his hand up. As his hand moved up, I grabbed onto whatever I could, before he disapeared into a cloud of smoke. I managed to grab onto something around his neck, and it was still in my hand when he disappeared. Just then, Damon pulled up, and Bonnie rushed out of the bar. "Elena! Are you okay? I had this feeling something was wrong, and I came straight out." I nod, before looking at Damon. I show him the necklace I pulled off the man; Dog-tag like plates, with a name and a number on them- Ryan Buckley 555-0129. "It was the same guy in the videos, the one who left me the box. He tried to grab me." I say. Just then, Stefan climbs out of Damon's car. I roll my eyes. "Great, you couldn't warn me he was with you?" I say, annoyed. Damon frowned. "I'm sorry, he insisted on coming with me. I'm to drop him at home before I take you and Bonnie back home. If it makes you any happier, you can take the front seat, and sit beside me?" He winked, and I laughed, before handing Bonnie her coat. "You have to bring us to get food before we go home. We got drunk, because the club sucks."

Stefan chuckled, sitting in the back seat with Bonnie, who had passed out. "So this is what you do for fun? Go out to clubs and get attacked by men who disappear in clouds of smoke?" I rolled my eyes and punched Damon in the shoulder. "Of course you told him." Damon laughed, rubbing the spot where I just punched him. "I didn't tell him, he snooped and found the tapes." I turned back and looked at Stefan. " If you have nothing helpful to say about this Ryan Buckley guy, then keep your trap shut. " Damon laughed, turning the music up so no one had to talk anymore, as I turned around. We pulled up to Stefan's house, and Caroline had been waiting in the drive. I rolled my eyes again as she hugged me, expressing concern for me. "I'm fine, Caroline. I can take care of my own problems." I said, as I let her go, getting back into the car once Stefan was out. Damon didn't waste any time, and pulled back onto the road. "If you do that to me again, I'll stake you." I told him, keeping my eyes on the road. "Did you still want to go and get food? Or is that out now that Bonnie's passed out?" I shake my head. "Home's fine. I'd rather go to bed anyways." He chuckles again. " Well, you've had an eventful night, Elena."

He carried Bonnie in, and set her down gently on my bed. I had been in the kitchen, whipping up something quick to eat. I had already changed into my PJ's; Short-shorts and a spaghetti-strapped tank-top. Damon came round the corner, laughing at the mess I had made in the process of making pancakes. "Jeez, It's like a flour bomb went off in here, what did you do?" He asked, looking at a few small piles of flour on the counter. I smirked, looking at those same piles, before I bent down and blew the biggest pile onto his black shirt. "You walked right into my trap, !" I say, and before I knew it, he was behind me, dumping the bag of flour onto the top of my head. We spent the next 30 minutes throwing flour and eggs at eachother, ducking inbehind counters to avoid being hit. I grabbed the hose from the tap and aimed it at him, letting the water run into the sink. " Come any closer, and I'll soak you!" I say. He smiles. I can't help myself when he smiles at me like that. I shouldn't feel the way I feel about him, but I do. Maybe it was the alcohol intensifying everything, or the fact that the one person I've ever loved, my 'epic love', was getting married in a few months. If he moved on, why couldn't I? Something distracted me from my thoughts. It was Damon. He had used his Vamp Speed to come close enough to me to be able to take the hose, and he was now soaking me with the water. I tried to take it from him, but that wasn't working. Instead, I tried to push his hands to spray himself, but that didn't work either. I bit my bottom lip, looking up at him as he continued to soak me. When our eyes locked, he released his hold on the hose, and let it go. He stepped closer to me, our faces just inches apart. We stayed there in the kitchen, just looking into eachothers eyes. The, he leaned in. His lips were on mine. I could no longer hold back. I wrapped my arms around his neck, eliminating any space between our bodies. He kissed me deeply. Passionately. I had never, and I mean NEVER, been kissed like this before. It was as if he wanted our first kiss to feel as though it were our last; unforgettable. We kissed for what felt like hours, but were interupted by Stefan barging into the house. "Damon! Damon, I.. Oh." He stopped in the doorway as he saw us, both Damon and I taking a step away from eachother.


	3. Why?

**Chapter 3- Why?**

Stefan's eyes were wide. He didn't know what to say. I could tell by the look on his face. " So the two of you are..." I shook my head. "No. Not that it would matter to you, anyways." I said, before passing both of them to go shower. My entire shower, I hadn't heard a thing from either one of them. I wasn't sure they were even in the house anymore. When I had gotten all of the flour and eggs out of my hair, I changed into my sweats and threw my dirty clothes into the laundry hamper. When I returned to the kitchen, it had been cleaned. Stefan had been sitting on the back porch, but I wasn't sure where Damon had gone. Did he really think he could kiss me like that and just take off without talking about it? I reach into the fridge and pull out my last bottle of wine.

I uncork it, and pour some into a glass, before I hear Stefan. "Elena, there's no need for you to hide out in the kitchen. We need to talk, so why don't you come out here with me?" I can't help but roll my eyes. "That's exactly what you said to me before our relationship ended." I said, as I walked out onto the back porch. " What do we need to talk about, Stefan?" I asked, sipping at my wine as I watched the ducks swim around in the pond Damon had put in the yard.

"Caroline wants you to be in the wedding. You're her best friend, Elena. You can't let what happened between us get in the way of your friendship." I laugh. " You think that's why Caroline and I aren't close anymore? Because of what happened with us?" I set my wine glass down. "Caroline and I aren't close anymore, because she chose to distance herself. She chose to spend more time with you, than either Bonnie or myself. Not to mention she's completely ignored Matt, Tyler, her Mom. Do you think that's normal for Caroline?" I can't help but laugh again. "You don't want to talk to me about Caroline. I know you want to talk about what you saw earlier."

He sat up, more attentive now. "Now that you bring it up, Yeah. I would. What was that? Since when are you and Damon a thing?" He laughed. My eyes narrowed as I looked at him. "We're not a thing. Quit trying to put a label on everything. Besides, if we were together, it wouldn't be any of your concern, Stefan." I fold my arms over my chest, and he stands up now, turning to face me. "Elena, You can do so much better. You know you can! You just have to get out there and meet new people. Far away from Mystic Falls. This town is only going to cause you more harm the longer you stay here." I nodded. "You're right. And you want to know why? Because I was stupid enough to trust you. I was stupid enough to let you into my life, and I was stupid enough to love you. So, as long as I'm near you, and your 'perfect happy-ever-after' with Caroline, It's going to cause me nothing but pain!" I step closer to him. "You crushed me, Stefan. I held my heart out to you, and all you did was stomp all over it. I hope your wedding is a disaster. I sure as hell won't be there to see it, but I'm sure it's all I'll hear about for the rest of my life." I grabbed my glass of wine, and turned to head back into the house.

"Elena, get back here..." I heard Stefan calling from the back porch. "No." I said, almost sounding childish. I took my glass of wine to Damons room, where I could watch TV without disturbing Bonnie. Odd, he wasn't here either. He must have gone out. I pull my phone out and send him a quick text. 

-From Elena, To Damon.-  
Hey, I don't know where you disappeared to, but we really need to talk about what happened earlier... 10:15pm

I set my phone down, sipping on my wine as I watched some more tv. Eventually, I fell asleep sprawled across Damon's bed. I hadn't noticed that at some point in the night he had come home, because when I woke up, there was an arm around me. I look at the time. 6am. Why am I even awake right now? This is insane. I pick my phone up and notice that there is a text waiting. 

-From Damon, To Elena.-

I had to get out and clear my head for a bit, Sorry if I worried you. Get some sleep, I'll be back shortly. 11pm

I must have fallen asleep before he responded. I turned over in the bed, facing him now. He was already awake, and had been waiting for me to turn over. I smiled softly, resting my hand between my pillow and my head. "Everything Okay?" I asked, and he nodded. "Yeah, Stefan came by to ask me something, and then lost his marbles once you took off upstairs, so I left. I needed to cool off before I did something stupid to him." I nod, placing my left hand on the side of his face gently. "You need to put your brother in his place. He stayed here after you left. He told me staying here in Mystic Falls would only continue to cause me more pain." I said, taking my hand off his face.

"I should really get up, I've got to be at work early." I lied, but it was an excuse to get me out of that bed, before I jumped him. He smiled as he watched me climb out of his bed, out the door and down the hall to my room. I walked in quietly, as Bonnie was still sleeping, and grabbed my uniform, undergarments, and a hair elastic. I changed quickly in the washroom, and by the time I had been done and gone down to the kitchen, Damon had been making coffee.

"You don't work today, Elena. So how about we talk, instead of both of us avoiding what happened last night?" I sighed. "Busted." I said, taking my coffee mug and pouring myself a cup. "I'm not trying to avoid it. I texted you last night, telling you I wanted to talk to you about it. It's not my fault you came home late." He looked at me, eyebrows furrowed. "Alright, so lets talk. Did it upset you? Did I upset you by kissing you without permission? I'm not going to apologize for kissing you, Elena. I've wanted to do that for such a long time, you have absolutely no idea." He moves closer to me, and I look up at him. " I have no idea? Are you serious right now? I'm pretty sure I've got some form of an Idea, based solely off of the WAY you kissed me, last night." He stepped closer, this time pulling me against his chest. " I've been in love with you, Elena, for the past 15 years. Do you have any idea how hard it's been for me? I can't touch you when I want to, I can't kiss you when I want to, You're not mine. You have no idea how badly I want you to be mine, Elena."

I sigh, looking up at him. "Damon, I ... I can't right now, okay? I have to leave." I set my coffee mug on the counter, and grab my bag before heading for the door. Just as I reached the handle, Damon stopped me, standing in front of the door. "Elena, come on... If you don't want this, just say the word and I'll back off."  
It took all of my energy. Every fibre of my being to do what I was about to do. "Damon, we can't be in a relationship. It would ruin our friendship, and I can't afford to lose anymore friends right now, let alone one of the closest friends I have. We just can't do this, Damon. I'm sorry." I watch his expression change as his heart drops. He doesn't say a word, he just moves, quickly, out of the way. I can't say anything, at this point. I just open the door and leave quietly.

I hung around the grill most of the day, unsure of what else to do. I couldn't go back home, and risk running into Damon. Not after that. I mean, I kissed the guy, and then told him we couldn't be together. I'm an idiot, that's for sure. I can't help myself, I send him a text.  
-From Elena, To Damon-

Listen, I'm sorry, Okay? You know what happened the last time I fell for someone. I just don't want to get hurt again. Like I said, I'm pretty sure I've got an idea as to how long you've wanted to kiss me. I've wanted to kiss you for just as long. Come pick me up from work? 12:05pm

I didn't get a response back for hours, and when I did it was a short call to say "I'm 2 minutes away, be ready". I sat outside, waiting maybe 5 minutes, before he pulled up. I got into his car, and immediately grabbed his face and kissed him. He wasted no time in kissing me back, but pulled away as he heard a car horn honking behind us. He smiled as he began to drive. "So what should we do for the rest of the afternoon?" He asked, and I shrugged. "Well, we could hiking, or we could just drive, until we're in another city." He pushed the gas pedal down more, pulling onto the highway. "Another city it is." Just then, his phone rang. He handed it to me to answer. "Hello, Damon's phone." I answered. The voice on the other end threw me. "Elena, where's Damon? I need his help." Damon pulled the car over to the side of the road. "What's up, Brother?" He asked. Stefan sounded worried on the other end. "She's gone. Caroline's gone. There's no note, but she's not here... "

"Why, though?" I asked, sitting across the table from Stefan. "Why would anyone take Caroline? Who did you piss off, Stefan?" I asked, annoyed. Caroline and I may not be close, but we've known eachother our whole lives. She's family, at this point. I'd do anything to make sure she was safe. Stefan shook his head. "I'm not sure, Elena. She said that someone stopped by her work and left her a gift. When she opened it, there was a pendant inside. She put it on almost immediately. Since then, she's been paranoid, worried someone's out to get her, talking about a man who disappears into purple clouds of smoke..." Damon's eyes widened. "How many times has he visited her?" Stefan looked at Damon, confused. "You believe her story?" "It's not a story." I say, shaking my head. "I got a small box from work last week, I've yet to open it. I wasn't sure about it. The person who left that pendant for Caroline is either the same person who left my box, or he's working with others. She didn't leave you, at least we know that much." Damon sighed. "True, but now we're going to have to keep our eyes on you. He's attacked you before. If someone took Caroline, who's to say they won't come after you next?" I turned at looked at Damon. He had genuine concern for me in his eyes. I shook my head. " Let him come after me. If he takes me, maybe he'll take me wherever he took Caroline. I'm not going to just sit here and wait for her to show up, or for this creep to come and find me. I'm going to find him." I got up from the table, and used my Vamp Speed to run around town, asking numerous people if they've seen 'Ryan Buckley'.

I got lucky with one person, who had an address for him, as well as a phone number. I decided to call him, keeping myself moving so Damon wouldn't be able to find me and stop me. "Hello?" I heard his voice on the other end. The same voice I'd heard before he attacked me. "Ryan? Ryan Buckley?" I ask. "That's my name, don't wear it out. What can I do you for, Princess?" He asks, and the tone in his voice disgusts me. "I know who you are, I know where you live. If you don't meet me at the Mystic Grill in 20 minutes, I'm coming to find you. You've got some explaining to do, so don't keep me waiting." I hung up, and started making my way towards the grill. Damon called me, and I ignored each call. I didn't want him trying to stop me. He would do anything for Stefan, no matter what Stefan did to him. He wasn't about to stop me from saving my best friend's life.


	4. Stefan's POV (SHORT)

Chapter 4 - Stefan's POV

"Elena!? Shit! I lost her." I return to Damon, who's now standing in the doorway. He's been trying to call her for hours now. " How in the hell do you lose her? Didn't you two share that sire bond at one point? You should be able to find her, Stefan!" Damon was visibly upset. Not knowing where Elena was had really been getting to him. " I recall a time where her disappearance left that same look on my face." I said to Damon, walking to his bar and pouring 2 glasses of bourbon. "Have you tried asking Bonnie?" I asked, and he nodded. "She's trying to do a locator spell in Elena's room right now." Just as Damon spoke, I heard Bonnie. "Damon! Stefan! Get up here!"

My brother and I moved, and were up the stairs and in Elena's room in seconds. " She's not in mystic falls anymore. I caught a glimpse of her mind, all I could see was water. Lots of water." I groaned, Damon didn't move. "Is there anything else, Bonnie, that might give us a hint as to where she is?" I asked, and she nodded. " Theres ... there's a hole in the ground, not too far from the water..." Before Bonnie could finish, Damon had sped down the stairs and out the front door. I wasn't too far behind him.

We drove for hours, stopping along the way as we found 'hints' that Elena had been there. By the time we reached the lake house, it was dark. Elena's tail lights reflected our headlights as we pulled into the driveway. Damon was up and out of the car faster than any human could blink. _Go figure,_ I thought, _it's always the lake house._ I heard Damon as he searched inside the house.

I hadn't even gotten around the first corner of the lake house, when the cellar door burst open, and Caroline and Elena were pushed up the stairs and out onto the grass. Elena saw me first, her eyes wide. She pushed Caroline over to me, staying put. "Get her out of here!" Elena whispered, before their captor had come up the stairs, grabbed her, and brought her around back. I took Caroline to our car, parked way up on the other end of the drive. Once I had her untied, and calm, I told her to stay put with Bonnie. Just then, Damon was in the car and starting it. "Get in, Brother. He's taking off, and he has Elena."

** Sorry this chapter is a little shorter than most, I've got alot going on right now.**


	5. Damon's POV (SHORT)

Chapter 5- Damon's point of view.

I ran in to check the house. It was empty, except a few boxes, an old couch, and an old TV set. I heard noises coming from upstairs, so I ran up to check. Just a few rats in the empty master bedroom. "Damnit, Elena, where are you!?" I huffed, before hearing muffled noises below me. "Basement!'  
I ran down the two flights of stairs as quickly as I could. By the time I had found the basement, and the cellar doors wide open, I ran. I ran to the car, and found Stefan with Caroline and Bonnie. I hopped in and started the car. "Get in, Brother. He's taking off, and he has Elena."  
Once he had gotten in, I pushed the gas pedal down to the floor, ripping out of the driveway. It didn't take me long to find his car.

"Stefan, I need you to grab the wheel..." I said, and he looked at me, confused. He wrapped his hands around the wheel. " What are you doing, Damon?!" Stefan shouted, as I hung my body half way out the window. " I'm getting Elena, what does it look like I'm doing?" I shouted back. Once we were close enough to the car, I grabbed hold of the handle on the door, and ripped the door clean off. " Elena, give me your hand!"

She was shaking her head. Why was she shaking her head!? "Elena! . .Now!" I said, watching her measure the distance between cars. Within seconds, she grabbed hold of my hand, and I pulled her out of Ryan's car, and into mine. Stefan slammed on the breaks, the second Ryan did. He got out of his car, gun in hand. "Don't make me shoot you, Vamps!" He shouted. Everyone got out of the car. Caroline, Stefan, Bonnie stood in front of Elena and I. "What did you do to her!?" I snarled, as Elena could barely stand. "Vervain." He said, simply. "Can't have a vamp at full strength when you're kidnapping them." His eyes moved from me, to Elena. " We will meet again, My sweet. Just you wait and see." And with that, he was gone.

"Damon ... I-" Was all I heard from Elena, before she collapsed to the ground. "We better start heading back." I said, as I picked her up. Bonnie and Caroline sat in the back seat with Elena, watching over her as I drove home as fast as I could.

"She should have been up by now!" I say, slamming my fists down on the table. _Why wasn't she coming out of this 'vervain coma'?_ I didn't understand. _Caroline was perfectly fine when Stefan found her, not a hair on her head out of place. So what was Elena doing that this guy felt he needed to fill her with Vervain? There has to be something else._

"Damon, I found something." Bonnie said, from up in my room where Elena was resting. I had given Bonnie Elena's room while she was here, helping me care for Elena. I made my way upstairs, stopping in the doorway as Bonnie's hands lit up over Elena's body. Elena sat up, eye's wide open, as she coughed and coughed. "B-Bonnie?" She asked, before wrapping her arms around Bonnie's neck. "What happened? Where am I?" she asked, before she turned her head and saw me. "Damon? What are you doing here? " She pulled the covers up over her chest, as she sunk back into the headboard. "Where's Stefan? Why isn't he here? Did something happen to him?" She asked, and Bonnie looked at her, confused, but calm.  
"Elena, Stefan's at home with Caroline..." She shook her head. " No, He was with me in the woods... "


	6. What in the world happened?

Chapter 6- What in the world happened?!

"What do you mean he's engaged to Caroline!?" I shout at Damon. "You're lying to me! You honestly think I'd believe you, after everything you've done in the past, Damon!?" I threw another vase at him. It missed, just like the others. This time, he didn't stay put. Within seconds, he was in front of me, taking the next vase from my hands and setting it down carefully. "Elena, please calm down and listen to me..." His tone was sincere, caring.

" I'm not listening to you, or anyone else for that matter. Not until Stefan tells me to my face." I said, before looking around the room for something else to throw. He didn't give me a chance to even reach for the stapler I had found on the desk. Within seconds he had me pinned to the wall by my wrists, his body pinning mine down against the wall. " Stefan is on his way here, Elena. If you'd just calm down, and stop destroying my room, I'll call him and see where he is."

"No need, Brother." Stefan said from the doorway. I shoved Damon off of me, lunging straight at Stefan, who stopped me in one swift move. "See what I mean?" Damon said, chuckling slightly as he brushed himself off. "He definitely did more than stuff her veins full of vervain... He's brainwashed her." "I'll handle this." Stefan said, watching as Damon walked out. Once Damon had left, Stefan set me down on the bed, and sat next to me. "What's the last thing you remember, before you woke up?" He asked me. I bit my bottom lip, leaning closer to him. "We were in the woods. You said you were going to show me something, something you'd never shown anyone before, not even Damon." I said, leaning in and kissing his neck softly. I placed my hand on his thigh, moving it up slowly, but he stopped me. "Elena. That was 6 years ago. I brought you to the lake house. The lake house I built with my bare hands. The lake house we were supposed to spend the rest of our lives together in." I stop, and look up at him, eyes wide. "'Supposed to' ...? This has something to do with Damon telling me you and Caroline are engaged, doesn't it? How could you do this to me? I thought you loved me!"

He sighed. " Elena, I've always loved you. I always will. But what happened at the lake house between you and I is for you to remember or figure out on your own. You told me never to remind you of that day, and I'm honouring that. If you really want to know what happened, perhaps you and Damon should take a trip up to the lake house, and see if that doesn't trigger your memory." He said, before he disappeared. I sighed, and looked around the room. I really had made a big mess. I felt I had nothing better to do than to clean it, before Damon returned. He walked in, bloodbag in hand, offering it to me. "Peace offering." He said, as he sat on the bed, watching me devour the blood bag in seconds. "So, Stefan told me to take you to the Lake house, try to refresh your memory a little. Are you okay with that?" He asked, and I just shook my head. "Is he really marrying Caroline?" I asked him, not breaking eye contact with him. He nodded. " Yeah, he is." Damon wasn't prepared for what happened next, and neither was I.

My eyes were filled with tears. Within seconds, they were flowing down my cheeks. I couldn't control it. It just hurt too much. Damon didn't know what to do, except wrap his arms around me, holding me, until I stopped crying. It had been an hour, or felt like it anyways. Damon held me as we laid on his bed, before I slowly drifted off to sleep.

*Damon's POV*

Once she had fallen asleep, I made my way down to the kitchen, where Stefan, Caroline and Bonnie were waiting. " So, I think I figured it out." I said, all of them looking at me. "Sometimes, people's memories jump back to the last time they felt safe. Especially after traumatic experiences." Stefan joined in. "So, Elena thinks she and I are still together. Her memory has gone back about 6 years. The last thing she remembered was our ... um... hiking trip. Just before I showed her the lake house." Caroline's arms folded. She was clearly feeling very uncomfortable. I smirked. Bonnie looked between Caroline and Stefan before speaking. " So basically what you want to do is have her go back to the lake house with Damon, and relive the day she's trying to remember, even though it's a day she asked us all to help her forget..." Caroline piped up. "Why doesn't Stefan go with her? Seeing as how the two of them were the ones up there together..." Bonnie laughed. "Caroline, get over yourself. Elena's been trying to move on, doesn't help her much when you're constantly talking about Stefan, or bringing him around her all the time." Stefan chimed in. "Hey, It's not Caroline's fault that his guy, whoever he is, screwed around with Elena's memories." I nodded. "Actually, Caroline was taken. YOU came here and said she was missing, and that's when Elena took off. No questions asked, she just left. So I'd say the both of you are at fault. If you'd just knock before entering, we probably could have avoided all of this!"

"You mean, we could have avoided her forgetting about any feelings she may or may not have had for you." Caroline said, her eyes squinting in my direction. "That's why you're so upset, isn't it. Because your beloved Elena, the woman you're so desperately in love with, has no idea how close the two of you actually are. Does she." " No, you're right. She doesn't. That's not what matters, Caroline. What matters is that for her safety, as well as your own I might add, she needs her memories back. Do you not remember what happened when you went after Stefan when they had broken up for a few days?" Stefan chuckled. " Man, she kicked your ass, and she did a damn good job of it." He said. Caroline shot him a look, and he apologized quickly.

Just then, Elena came down the stairs, bags in hand. " Well, thanks for letting me crash here, but I should be getting home." I shook my head, and within seconds had her locked up in the cell in the basement. " Sorry Princess, you're not going anywhere. Not till I let you out."


	7. Let the Memories come flooding back

Chapter 7- Let the memories come flooding back.

"Seriously, Damon? Locking me in a cell. That's low." I said, as I sat on the cold concrete floor, in the corner across from the door. I had been in here for days now. He unlocked and opened the door. "Stefan's getting the car ready, the three of us are going on a little road trip." He said, before disappearing from the door. As if he thought I wouldn't try to escape. I ran, as fast as I could, but was stopped at the front door. "Damnit, Bonnie!" I said, trying to get past the invisible wall keeping me from getting outside.

"Did you really think that we didn't think you'd try to escape?" Bonnie said, smiling. Damon came up from behind me, and lifted me over his shoulder, as Bonnie let the wall down. He carried me to the car and sat me down in the front seat. Caroline got in the back seat, and I turned and looked at her, then Stefan as he sat in the drivers seat. "I thought you said WE were going? Why is she here?" He laughed. " You're going with Stefan. Caroline refused to let the two of you go alone." I turned, to see Caroline's eyes squinting in my direction, and I couldn't help but smirk. " Fine, whatever. See you when we get back, I guess."

It was a quiet car ride, Caroline and Stefan spoke to eachother, Stefan and I spoke to eachother, Caroline and I on the other hand, we weren't talking at all. Once we reached the lake house, and Stefan stopped the car, I had tried to run once again, but there had been another barrier all around the lake house. "Damnit. I don't understand why you guys won't just let me take off. Like honestly, YOU of all people, Stefan, shouldn't want me to stick around so much. Don't you see how it's affecting Caroline?" Stefan chuckled. " I definitely don't want you around this much, that's for sure. Damon wants you to have your memories back. For whatever reason, I have no clue, but in all honesty, it needs to happen. " With that, he and Caroline took their bags into the house, before Stefan returned for mine. I had still been outside when he came back. He hugged me, for longer than he should have. " We just want our Elena back is all. You're confused, you've lost 6 years of your memory, Elena. " I sighed, hugging him back.

"So, do you remember what happened here?" He asked, pointing to the bench under the trees. "We did ... it, right there." I said, and he nodded. "And over here?" I look at the path carefully. "That's where you first told me you loved me." He nodded. " And here?" He pointed to a massive hole in the ground, just by the lake. "I... I don't know. Should I know?" He sighed. Alright. I'm going to tell you a story, okay? We were up here one weekend, trying to get away from all the craziness of the city. After an amazing day, we came back, and I had set up a romantic dinner. Someone else thought they'd try to ruin it, by putting a bomb under the table. It went off, and you suffered most of the damage. That hole in the ground there, is where you should have died. "

My eyes were wide, I could feel them. "What do you mean, Should have?" He sighed. "I mean, the blast was a pretty big one. Knocked me down by the water. By the time I got up and went to look for you, you were gone. I couldn't find you anywhere. I'd had no idea where you went. Damon heard the explosion, and helped me find you. You had crawled under the house. You were dying. I couldn't get to you, I had too many splinters in my chest, too close to my heart. So Damon pulled you out, and Damon saved your life. He turned you into a vampire." I take in everything Stefan tells me. "So, what does that have to do with you and Caroline?" I asked, biting my bottom lip. "What happened with _**us**_ Stefan?"

He sighed, as we sat by the fire. Caroline had gone into the woods to see if she could find more firewood. " You and Damon got really close after he saved you." He said, pinching the bridge of his nose. " I couldn't handle how close the two of you got. So, I let you go..." I looked at him, my heart heavy. " Well clearly it still hurts, because if I'd have moved on, I don't think you letting me go a second time would hurt as bad." He got up to say something, his eyes on me. Just then, Damon came through the front door, with Caroline. "You should really keep a better eye on this one, she wasn't out getting firewood at all, she was eavesdropping." Tears in my eyes, I got up and went to 'my room'. "What'd I miss?" Damon asked, Stefan filling him in. A few hours had passed, before I heard a knock on my door. "It's open, I guess." I said, and Damon walked in. He closed the door behind him. "So, are you remembering anything yet?" He asked, and I shook my head. " Maybe the pain of my heart being ripped out of my chest, and stomped on, but that's about it." I tell him, moving over in my bed for him to sit. "So Stefan told you that I saved your life." He said, and I nodded. "Yeah. Thought I could have sworn I heard him telling me HE saved my life ... Then he told me he'd let me go, because we got too close, but I just can't shake the feeling that he's lying to me."

Damon and I snuck out of the house not too long after Caroline and Stefan had passed out. He and I took a walk along the water, and he told me everything I wanted to know. We came across an old boat house, and as we walked inside, my head had started hurting. I dropped to the ground as memories and flashbacks flooded my mind. I could see them as if they were happening through my eyes-

" _Elena!?" I could hear, but I couldn't see anything through the black smoke. What happened? I looked around, trying to find Stefan, but he was nowhere to be seen. I look down at myself, and there's a leg from our picnic table right through my abdomen. "Oh my god." I said, before I felt a pair of hands grabbing me up off the ground. "Don't you worry, Elena. I've got you." And then it all went black._

 _I woke up in the lake house, my throat was burning intensely. Damon was there beside me, watching me carefully. "Oh good, you're up. Come with me." He brought me down to the kitchen, and handed me a blood bag. He filled me in on what had happened, but had told me that Stefan had turned me. Once Damon was comfortable with my hunger level, He let me go to bed. When I got up to my room, there was an envelope on my pillow. As I read the letter, my heart shattered. Stefan had left. All his note said was "I'm sorry, Elena. I'll always love you. Please don't try to find me. xo Stefan."_

 _I was a mess, for weeks. The first man I'd ever loved. My Epic Love. Just up and abandoned me, after turning me. I hated him. Damon helped me through it the most. We moved in together so he could keep an eye on me._

That's where the flashbacks stopped. When I opened my eyes, Damon was there. My head was resting in his lap. " Are you okay? You collapsed." He said. I sat up carefully, brushing my hair out of my face. " I remember." His eyes widened. "How much do you remember?" I looked at him, standing up. "Everything. Why did you tell me Stefan turned me? You turned me. He left me. He shattered my heart into a million pieces. He disappeared for over a year! "  
I couldn't hold it in any longer, I burst into tears, and I just couldn't stop. Damon held me, trying to comfort me. After a while, my crying hadn't stopped, and Damon suggested that I flip my switch. "Just turn it off." He whispered into my ear. It didn't take long, once his words planted themselves into my brain, I turned my emotions off without thinking twice.


	8. Emotionless Elena (SHORT)

Chapter 8- Emotionless Elena- This should be fun.

"You did what!?" Stefan shouted, I could hear him from upstairs. He was yelling at Damon for encouraging me to turn my emotions off. "How could you be so reckless, Damon? Do you not remember what happened last time she shut it off?"

 _Let me fill you in. The last time I shut my emothions off, I went on a bit of a bender. Most would say I was a ripper, but I had more respect for my victims. I left their heads on, but not their left arm, or leg. It took months for Damon and Stefan to finally catch up to me, and weeks before they finally got me to switch it back on. This was going to be fun._

"You're responsible for the next blood bath she causes, Damon. I hope you realize this." Caroline said. _Alright, that's enough._ I made my way down the stairs, and into the livingroom where everyone was standing. "Not that it's anyone's business, but it was MY decision to shut my emotions off. Damon had nothing to do with it. So quit harping on him, and get on with your merry lives already." They all just stood, wide-eyed, mouths hanging open. Caroline broke the silence. "Elena, we're sorry. We're just worried about you. You know how you get when-" "Caroline, enough. I don't want to hear it. You're not my mother, you don't have a say in what goes on in my life, are we clear? You don't get to steal my boyfriend, and tell me what to do, got it?" Stefan stepped in. "Elena, that was uncalled for." I laugh. "No, what was uncalled for was your lying to me. Why did you tell me you turned me, when Damon did. Why did you leave me a note, telling me you'd always love me, only to appear back here after a year, engaged to Caroline. Did you think I'd keep my mouth shut? Well, now emotionless Elena can tell it like it is. You two desrve eachother. You really do. I hope you're happy together, But I sure as hell won't be there. Not for either one of you, after the way you betrayed me."

After I left the room, Stefan and Caroline decided it was time for them to go home. Once they were gone, Damon came and found me out in the garden. I had been pulling weeds out, and getting the garden ready for my next planting spree. He got down on his knees beside me, and began helping me. "You good now?" He asked, and I looked up at him. " I'm fine. " I said quickly. We pulled weeds until it got dark out, and just as I was heading up to take a shower, I heard the doorbell. "Are you expecting anyone, Damon?" I asked, and he shook his head. " Nope." The doorbell rang again. Damon walked to the door, looking through the peep-hole. "There's no one here." He said, as there was a bang on the back door. I ran to the back door to see who was there, and no one was there. "What the hell is going on?" I asked, and just as I had, someone or something had kicked the front door in, sending Damon flying into the kitchen. Within seconds, there was a woman in the kitchen. She hadn't noticed me, as she grabbed Damon and held him up against the wall. "Where is she!?" She shouted, and he shook his head. " I have no clue who you're talking about, Ava. So why don't you put me down?" She shook her head, tightening her grip. "Elena. I'm looking for Elena. Where is she?!" He struggled to get out of her hold. " What do you want with Elena?" He asked, trying not to look in my direction as I snuck up behind her carefully. "She has something of mine, and I want it back." I stopped. " What in the world would I have that's yours?" I asked, and she dropped Damon to the ground, spinning around to face me. "Ah, so you're Elena Gilbert... Where's the necklace?" She asked, taking a few steps towards me. I took a few steps towards her, as well. "Which necklace are you talking about. I have dozens upstairs. Describe yours, and I'll tell you if I've got it."

After minutes, I had come downstairs with the locket Stefan had given me. I handed it over to her, without hesitation. "Really, you're doing me a favor by taking this off my hands. It holds no value to me anymore." With that, the woman thanked me, and was gone. "That was weird." I said, helping Damon clean up. " Yeah, really weird. Almost makes me think this was a distraction ... Something to keep us busy." He rushed into the den, where he noticed his picture had been pulled off the wall, and his Safe ripped open. "Whoever else was in here took that box from the safe." He said, as he heard me walking in. "What would they want with it? I don't even know what's inside. Maybe it wasn't meant for me as a gift at all, maybe it was a way for me to die..." "Caroline has one too!" Damon shouted, and before I could blink he was on the phone, and on his way out the door. "Elena, Lets go!"


	9. Oh Dear

Chapter 9- Oh dear.

When we had arrived at Stefan and Caroline's house, Stefan was the only one there. The house had been ransacked, everything turned over, glass shattered. Caroline was nowhere to be found. _Leave it to Caroline to get kidnapped, again._ I thought to myself. _Now I'm probably going to have to figure out a way to get myself in there to have Stefan save her. Great._

"Don't even think about it, Elena." Damon said, before I could open my mouth. "You're not using yourself as bait. Not again." Stefan scoffed. "Why not? They were going to grab her too." I nodded "Yeah, except I was smart enough not to open the box, let alone throw the pendant around my neck. It's probably a 'calling card' or something." Stefan got in my face. "Just because you turned your emotions off doesn't mean you can be a bitch, Elena. Caroline is one of your best friends." I laughed. "Best friends ASK before going after an ex. It's part of that stupid Girl Code Caroline's always going on about." I moved closer to Stefan, our faces inches apart. "Maybe if she had some morals, she wouldn't be in this mess." His hand moved back, then came across my face. _He slapped me!_ I growled, my lips curled back, showing my teeth. My eyes changed to black, and the veins beneath them began to grow black as well. Within seconds, I had Stefan pinned to the ground, my teeth inches from his neck when Damon ripped me away from him. He wrapped both of his arms around me tightly, ensuring I was unable to move. "Stefan, I think it's best that you get this place cleaned up, maybe you'll find some clues. I'm going to take this one home, see if I can't get her under control before we go looking for Caroline." Stefan got up off the ground, brushing himself off. "She better be under control by then, otherwise I can't promise she'll be coming back alive." I growled again. " You wish, you wimpy little vampire, I can take you anyday!" I shouted, before Damon clamped his hand down over my mouth. " Don't make me vervain you, Elena."

"This is nowhere near home." I said, sitting in the passengers seat of Damon's car, my wrists wrapped in vervain soaked rope. "I know. We're not going home. I'm taking you somewhere else." His eyes moved from the road to the ropes around my wrist. "The next stop, I promise I'll take those off. I just didn't want you ripping my head off. What was that back there?" He asked, trying to pry. " I don't know. Instinct I guess? He slapped me. You can't tell me that if someone punches you in the face, you stay as cool as a cucumber." He laughed. " No, I certainly don't. I also don't go around attacking my friends." I scoffed. " He's not my friend. Friends don't pull what they pulled." Damon rolled his eyes. "Best thing for you to do Elena, is to get back at him by moving on. Find that someone else that can make you happy. That person whos going to stay by your side, no matter what. Someone who's always there for you. You find that person, and you're truly happy, and that's the best revenge you could ever get on him for breaking your heart."

I stayed silent the rest of the ride. We stopped for gas, and Damon took the ropes off like he'd promised. We grabbed a few snacks, and found some old bum behind the gas station to satiate our cravings, wiping his memory, and giving him enough money to rent a room and clean himself up. We had been driving for hours, nothing but the sound of the radio. Once we stopped, I looked around, noticing nothing but trees surrounding us. "Where are we?" I asked him, but he was already grabbing everything out of the trunk. " We're going on a little camping trip. Just a couple of days." I rolled my eyes. " You're trying to get me to turn my emotions back on, aren't you? You let them get into your head!" I went to run, but when I did, I was stopped by running into his chest. He wrapped his arms around me, and I tried to get out of his hold. " I'm alot stronger than you, Elena. You could do this all day, I won't get tired." I looked up at him, squinting my eyes. " You're not going to get me to turn my emotions back on. Not out here, not anywhere. If you think bringing me out into the woods was a good idea, you were sadly mistaken my-" There was a sharp pain in my neck, and then I saw nothing but black.

When I woke up, we were in a crypt, dimly lit by candles. Damon had been over in the corner reading. I tried to get up, but the chains keeping my wrists a foot away from the floor stopped me. " Wow. Chains. That's new." I said. Damon chuckled. " There she is, the little spitfire. Nice nap?" He asked, tossing me a small bottle with enough blood in it to help me feel a little better. I took it all in one sip. "Not exactly. Why don't we get this over with, hmm? I'm sure you've got some good shots to throw at me this time." He laughed. " You're the one making this difficult. You just don't want to switch it back on, do you?" I shook my head. " Why would I want to? If I did, there'd be too much pain. I'd be a mess for weeks. Probably try to stake myself. And then what? You blame yourselves because I was unhappy? Please."

Days had passed, maybe even weeks. I still hadn't cracked. Damon had gone back to get a few 'trigger items' to try and help me flip my emotions back on. I notice something different about my finger this time- No daylight ring. _That jerk took my daylight ring!_ I thought to myself. A few hours of nothing but staring at the walls goes by, before Damon walks back into my 'cell'. "Here, I thought you might want a change of clothes, A blanket, brought you a few pictures, too." He set the box of things down and slid them over to me. Inside the box was a bottle of blood, and my daylight rind. "Couldn't risk you getting out and taking off on me." He said with a chuckle. I pulled the pictures out, one by one. There were some of Bonnie and I on our trips, some of Damon and I when we finished up the first half of the garden out back. There was one in particular that struck me, and it took absolutely no time at all for anger to come flying back. The picture in my hand was the day Stefan, Caroline, Bonnie and I had graduated from Mystic Falls High School. Stefan and I were still together, and in this picture, you could see the love in our eyes. It was a beautiful picture. I couldn't look at it anymore, and I threw the frame at the wall with as much force as I could, watching the glass shatter into a million pieces. Damon's eyes were wide, as he walked into the cell, closing the door behind him.

"I don't think that's the best idea for her right now, Stefan. We've hauled her up out here for months now. She needs a break, but you and Caroline coming up here for dinner isn't going to make things any better. She already told you that she doesn't want to see or speak to either one of you right now. I'd let her be. She may have only had her emotions off for a couple months, but it's still crushing her. I don't want to overwhelm her and have her shut them off again, alright? Just let me do what I'm here to do, and all will be fine by June. I promise." It had been weeks after Damon broke me out of my trance, and I'd refused to leave the Lake house. I stood in the doorway as Damon hung up the phone. " You know, giving them false hope about my attendance to their wedding, is just as bad as tying me up in a cell, in the middle of the woods, for 3 months." He handed me a mug filled with coffee. " I said I was sorry, Elena. It was for your own good." I rolled my eyes. " I know, I know." He made his own cup of coffee, throwing a little burbon into it. " So what's on the agenda for today?" I sighed. " I don't know. I was thinking maybe I should get out of the house for a few hours, maybe take a hike up the mountain." He smiled. "Well then let's go." "Wait, I didn't say you could come with me..." He smiled, even wider this time. " I don't need your permission to go hiking in the woods."

I changed quickly, meeting Damon by the front door of the Lake house. Sometime in the last few weeks, we'd ended up back at the lake house. Must've been during one of my crying fits. I wasted no time in heading up towards the hiking trail, leaving Damon to catch up. I reached the top of the mountain in no time, using my vamp speed to get up there. I sat on a large rock, looking over the horizon. Damon came up behind me not too long after I had sat down, dropping a bag down onto the grass. " Wow." He said, as he sat on the rock beside me. All I could do was nod. "It's beautiful up here." I said, and I could feel his eyes on me. " I meant the sunset, Damon." He chuckled, wrapping his left arm around me, hugging me. "Glad to see you out of the house today, Elena." He said, smiling. I looked over at him, smiling back. " Listen, I know I haven't been your favorite person to be around the last few months ..." He laughed again. " Elena, you'll always be my favorite person." I smiled wider. " ... I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I should be out there helping Stefan find Caroling, instead I've been hauled up here, because I can't get over Stefan. You're right, I need to move on with my life. I need someone who makes me truly happy ..." I turned and looked him in the eyes. He held my face in his hands for a few moments, before letting go, looking back out to the sunset.


	10. I'll Wait for you (SHORT)

Chapter 10- I'll wait for you.

 _Suddenly, I'm seeing Damon in a whole different way. I'm noticing now that his clothes fit his perfectly sculpted body in all the right places. I've noticed the sparkle in his eyes when he talks to me, when he sees me. His smile is different now. His laugh melts me entirely. I can't stop thinking about him. I think I'm in love with Damon Salvatore. I'm in love with my Best Friend._

I had fallen asleep on the back porch of the Lake house, and when I had woken up, Damon had been waving a coffee mug under my nose. "Wakey wakey!" he said, before taking a seat beside me. "We're going home today, if you're okay with that?" He asked, and I laughed. " I'm not so sure I'm ready to go back yet ... Maybe one last hike, or a swim down at the lake before we go?" He noddedm smiling. "Anything to put that pretty smile on your face." My cheeks were red, as he moved back into the house to change. _This is going to be one interesting hike._ I thought to myself, as I headed into the house and up to my room to change.

I didn't wear pants this time, I wore shorts, along with a tank top to Hike. I was in the middle of changing when Damon came in. "Elena, I - OH! Shit, I'm sorry." He said, leaving instantly. I fixed my shirt, before running out to find him in the kitchen. "Damon, it's not a big deal... we're roommates. It's not like it's never happened before." She said, recalling the time she accidentally walked in on him while he was getting ready to take a shower. I had to stop my mind from wandering. I heard him mumble "Well this time, it's different." I turned to look at him. "How is it different this time?" I asked, and he shook his head. " Lets go, we've got a long drive ahead of us after this hike."

We hiked up the mountain, this time slower, to enjoy the view before we went back to Mystic Falls. Damon was in a better mood now, laughing and joking with me. We hit a clearing just below the top of the mountain, where a waterfall was flowing into a calm lagoon. I dropped my things, and stripped down to my bra and boy-cut undies, and ran straight into the water. I heard Damon laugh as I surfaced, and I splashed him. "Hey!" he said, dropping his bags, and taking his shoes off. "Don't make me come in there after you." I laughed, and disappeared under the water, before surfacing again and soaking him. "Oh, that's it, you're in trouble now." He said, as he stripped down to his boxers and jumped in. 

_Damon's right,_ I thought to myself as I swam away from him. _The only way I'm going to get back at Stefan is by letting him go completely._ My thoughts were stopped when Damon grabbed me and pulled me under water. I kicked my foot away from him and surfaced, laughing. As he surfaced, I splashed him, only to have him grab my wrists and pull me into his chest. "Can't splash me now, can you?" He said, looking down at me. Our eyes met, and I just couldn't help what happened next. He leaned in, still holding me against his chest. My mind and body were on completely different frequencies. My mind was screaming " _You're not ready for this yet!"_ But my body went against my mind, because the next thing I knew, we were kissing. His lips were soft, and sweet. I pulled my wrists from his hold and placed my hands on either side of his face, as his tounge moved across my lips gently. I let my lips part, and his tongue slid in, moving gently across mine. I wanted more, I really did, but it took all my energy to stop right there, before it went any further. " Damon, I ..." I looked up at him. " ... I have some things that I have to take care of, before I can be ready for this." He sighed softly, then kissed my lips gently before letting me go. " Take as much time as you need, Elena. I've waited for you long enough, a little longer won't hurt."

The drive home was quiet. I had slept most of the way, but when I hadn't been sleeping, Damon and I barely spoke. Just as we drove into Mystic Falls, I sat up. "What day is it?" I asked. He laughed. "You haven't been sleeping that long. It's June 5th." I smiled. "Good. We need to stop off somewhere on our way home."


	11. The Wedding (SHORT)

Chapter 11- The Wedding.

"I'm not so sure this is wedding appropriate..." I say, stepping out of the changing room in a mid-thigh length Mini-dress. Damon chuckled. "Come on, just because you're at his wedding doesn't mean you can't get some kind of revenge by showing off what he's missing out on. It's not like you can see up the dress unless you're absolutely trying to ... " I laugh and slap his hand away as he was tugging on the hem of the dress. I disappeared back into the change room, switching into another dress. "Shouldn't you be getting a tux on or something?" I ask as I hop around, trying to slip in and out of dresses. Finally, I settled on a beautiful, just above the knee dress in Emerald Green. "Oh, this is the one. This is it." I say as I walk out of the changing room. His jaw drops, his eyes glued to me. The dress had just the right amount of cleavage showing, just enough leg, and it hugged her curves in all the right places. "Stunning." was all Damon could say, before extending his hand. "Shall we? We're going to be late."

We made it to the wedding just in time, sitting in one of the back rows so we weren't noticed as easily. I mean, in all fairness, I had told them I wasn't coming, unfortunately Damon hadn't been so lucky as to get the option. It wasn't until Caroline had turned to look at the 'audience' to remove her veil that we were spotted. I could see how happy Caroline was, now knowing both of her best friends were there for her, regardless of what had happened.

After the ceremony, Damon and I had been dancing when Caroline and Stefan had shown up. Stefan had asked to cut in and dance with me while Caroline danced with Damon. "You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you showed up dressed like that to try and stop my wedding..." I smirked, shaking my head. " Ah, see. Quite the oposite, really. I wore this dress to show off what you so kindly turned away. A girl's gotta move on somehow, right? What better way than to show up to my exes wedding, with his brother?" I kissed Stefan softly on the cheek. "Congratulations, Stefan." I said, before walking away. I could hear Caroline rush over to Stefan, complaining about my lipstick on his cheek as Damon stopped me in the doorway. "Where are you going?" He asked, picking me up and setting me down on the dance floor. "You owe me a few more dances, Elena."

We hadn't left the reception until 4 am. There had still been a few people left when he got into the taxi, but Caroline and Stefan had left around 10 the night before, to leave for their honeymoon. When we pulled up to the house, Damon paid the taxi driver, as I walked up and unlocked the door. Once I had the door open, he was right behind me. We walked in, and I plopped down on the couch, throwing my heels onto the floor and putting my feet up on the couch. "My feet are killing me." I said, as he sat down. He picked my legs up and sat, setting my feet down in his lap. He started to massage them, rubbing the knots and sore spots right out. "Better?" He asked, smiling. I nod, letting my head fall back against the arm of the couch. "Much better. Thank you." It was quiet for a few moments, before he spoke again. 

"So, what changed your mind about going to the wedding?" He asked, and I sat up a little, looking at him. "I've been waiting for that question all night." I said, laughing slightly. " I guess it finally hit me that he's moved on with his life, and that I should do the same. I mean, I'm a vampire for crying out loud. I have an eternity left. Why waste it being upset at Caroline and Stefan when I can just move on from that. I can move on from the both of them." His eyes were squinted, almost as though he'd been confused from what I'd said. Before he could ask or say anything else, my lips were on his. I was sat in his lap now, my hands on either side of his face as I kissed him, and he kissed me. This kiss was no different from our last, it had the same passion, hunger, and rhythm to it. He pulled me closer to him, his arms around my waist, before he pulled away and looked up at me. " You said you weren't - " I smiled and kissed him again, stopping the rest of his statement. " I did what I had to do, Damon. I'm ready now. I'm ready for this- You and Me. Us. This is what I want."


End file.
